stingy landlady

Chapter 2 Separation

Guizhi and her father stood outside the door listening for a long time before silently returning to their room.

Guizhi lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), thinking about the present and what to do in the future. In this family, her grandparents were not as harsh on her parents as many mean families, but being the head of the household was difficult, and it was impossible to be truly fair and just.

After all, everyone has their own standards. From the uncle's perspective, in terms of farm work in the countryside, boys will grow stronger as they get older and be able to support themselves.

But girls are naturally weak, and once they grow up and become capable, they marry into other families and have to give dowries, so they are considered a financial loss.

The family has four girls who can't help much with farm work, so their father has to do all the work in the fields. In a couple of years, their uncles and cousins ​​will come to help, since they are stronger than the girls.

In ancient and modern rural areas, men are the primary labor force. Guizhi felt that both sides should consider the issue from each other's perspectives. Now that her family had indeed been separated from the village, would her parents and sister rationally listen to her, a seven-year-old, as she slowly analyzed the situation?

Everything should be driven by profit. The premise is whether one's own family can truly be financially secure after the division of assets. Every beginning is difficult; how can this impoverished family earn their first fortune?

As the rooster crowed, wisps of smoke rose from every chimney in the village. A new day had begun!

Guizhi raised her little face and said:

"Dad, let's go to town together. You're so busy all the time, take advantage of the off-season to broaden your daughter's horizons!"

Guizhi's father originally planned to go up the mountain to see if there were any wild vegetables or fruits that he could exchange for some pocket money.

But facing his youngest daughter, he said helplessly, "Sanya, your father is useless, your father has no money! I want to go up the mountain to see if there's anything I can sell for money!"

Guizhi advised:

"Father! There are many good things on the mountain, but many people go there, and many people recognize mountain products. Things are valued for their scarcity; if there are too many, they become worthless."

Let's go to town. There are more people there, and more wealthy families. We can see what they need; maybe we'll find something unexpected!

Guizhi's father thought for a moment, "Anyway, we're going anywhere to earn copper coins! Maybe, like Sanya said, we'll find someone in town looking for odd jobs!"

Guizhi and her father took two cornbread buns for breakfast and went to town together.

Having no money to take an oxcart, he walked for about an hour to reach the town.

Walking around, I saw people coming and going; the streets were still quite crowded. There were also many shops on both sides of the street, selling daily necessities, vegetables, meat, fabrics, and so on.

"Sanya, come with your father to see if anyone is hiring."

Well, honest Dad doesn't even dare to ask Grandma for a few coins when he goes out, just in case. The two of them slowly walked to the place where laborers were usually recruited. There were a few people squatting or standing chatting, waiting for someone to ask them for work.

"My grain has arrived. You, you come with me to unload the truck." A middle-aged man walked over, pointed to Guizhi's father and the man standing next to him, and led the two to work.

Guizhi obediently followed behind all the way to the grain shop. In front of the grain shop, there were four oxcarts piled high with grain sacks. The warehouse door was open, and the shop assistants came over, stood on the carts, and started unloading the grain, asking Guizhi's father and his companion, who had just arrived, to carry it into the warehouse and arrange it neatly. The shopkeeper was keeping accounts nearby.

There was no deduction in payment after we finished carrying all the bags; we got one coin for each bag we carried, and each of us earned thirty coins for thirty bags. That was more than what we could earn doing odd jobs for someone else for a day!

But both of them were so exhausted that they sat down on the roadside to rest, completely losing their composure!

After finishing the work, it was past noon. Although he was very tired, Guizhi's father was still very happy to have earned some income on the first day.

"Sanya, let Daddy take you to buy some steamed buns!"

The two people bought two vegetarian buns for four coins and also asked the shopkeeper for a sip of cold water.

"Dad, do you give all the copper coins you earn to Grandma?"

"Yes, before the family split up, everything was managed by Grandma. Dad didn't earn copper coins every day either. Even if he didn't have work to do, he still had to come home for dinner."

Guizhi's father said in a muffled voice.

Guizhi blinked and asked again, "Dad, will we separate from the family? We don't have any boys in our family, will we be separated?"

"I don't know, sigh! Why do kids have so many questions?"

"Hehe! Dad, I've grown up!" Guizhi said in a deliberately coquettish tone.

"Dad, you heard what Grandpa and Grandma said last night. They were in a difficult position too. Why don't we take the initiative to suggest separating the family?"

Guizhi's father thought for a long time before saying:

"Dividing the family property is easy, but since we don't have any boys, we won't get any family property or land."

After we separated, you were all still young and girls, so you didn't have much strength. I, as a single laborer, couldn't do much work and couldn't support our family of six.

"Dad's incapable! So he has to take advantage of your grandparents and uncles."

Guizhi tried her best to persuade her:

"Dad, my sisters and I can do what we can. Dad, Grandpa, Grandma, and Uncle are all very kind! But we can't keep taking advantage of each other like this. Why don't we take the initiative to suggest dividing the family property?"

This way, we can both have some leeway. We don't have the strength to cultivate more land, but there's always a way out; we'll always find a way to earn some money to make a living.

"Sanya, why are you thinking about so many things today?"

“Dad, I’m growing up! Yesterday my second sister told me to be more clever, and last night I heard what Grandpa and Grandma said! Actually, I’ve heard Uncle and Aunt nagging before, but I’m just a kid, I don’t want to care about that!”

Today I went out with Dad to see the world. Life outside is so lively! They sell all sorts of things! I thought to myself, "Why don't we go out and sell things too? With money, we won't have to worry about life! Haha!"

After Guizhi finished speaking, she chuckled to herself.

Yes, there are so many paths, why stick to just one? Guizhi's father was also somewhat tempted.

"Dad, how about we don't give the money to Grandma today? We won't spend it recklessly; we'll save it as capital after we divide the family property. When we have money, we'll give Grandpa and Grandma plenty to live on in their old age. In the future, we'll earn lots and lots of money..."

As the two walked home, Guizhi and her father each pondered their future paths and how to overcome their current predicament.

When they arrived at their doorstep, the two heard a commotion coming from inside the yard.

Guizhi recognized the voice as that of her second aunt, Zhao.

"Da Ya, Er Ya! What time is it? Hurry up and do the laundry! San Ya, I wonder where she's gone? She gave birth to a bunch of girls, what a waste of money! They don't do any work, just waiting to eat and drink for free!"

"Second Aunt, you have so many clothes! If it's just one or two pieces, we can help wash them, but you're giving them all to the two of us. How long will it take to wash them all! We also need to wash our own, Grandpa and Grandma's, and Fourth Uncle's clothes!"

That's Er Ya's voice.

"Second Aunt, Taozhi is a girl too, why doesn't she go and wash the clothes?"

Daya looked at Zhao and asked.

“Our Taozhi’s hands are used for needlework and embroidery, so they can’t be rough. Besides, Dabao and Erbao will be two strong laborers in a couple of years, and they can help with a lot of housework.”

"You girls will be getting married in a couple of years, what good will you be for the family then! You complain about doing too much work, even washing a few clothes!"

When Guizhi opened the gate, she saw Daya, Erya, and her second aunt arguing.

There was a pile of clothes at my second uncle's door, including clothes for adults and children. It probably couldn't fit in a basket. My second uncle's family has five people, and his two boys have changed out of several pieces of clothes.

The eldest and second eldest sisters' baskets were filled with clothes. One basket contained clothes belonging to their own family members. The fourth sister was small and often wet her clothes, so both the adults and children filled her basket.

The other one belongs to Grandpa, Grandma, and Fourth Uncle. Fourth Uncle is unmarried, and their clothes are washed together. Grandma should be inside and hasn't come out, while Mom should be inside with Siya mending clothes.

There was no other way; the clothes worn by the family were all patched up. They didn't have money to buy new ones, so they couldn't bear to throw away the old ones. The clothes and shoes worn for farm work were easily damaged; they'd get a tear here or there, but they'd slowly mend them so they could wear them for a little longer, and no one would laugh at them when they went out.

Wearing patched clothes in the surrounding villages isn't laughable; everyone's pretty much the same. But wearing clothes that are torn and unpatched will make you a laughingstock. Guizhi's mother couldn't do anything when she heard her second sister-in-law scolding the children. She was honest and not a shrew, and always felt that she could just endure it.

Guizhi asked, "Second Aunt, it's a good thing that Taozhi has a skill. Will she give the money she earns to us sisters?"

"Why should I give you money? Your second uncle is only willing to support you girls, and it's already a blessing that you're fed. You expect me, Taozhi, to earn money for you to spend? You're dreaming!"

"Second Aunt, my father also works in the fields. He contributes a lot of effort and doesn't let Second Uncle support us."

"Easy for you to say. In a few years, your family will still be just your father working in the fields, while our family will have three men working in the fields. How can that be the same? If it weren't for your second uncle, who would support you? Can your father support so many money-losing children by himself? He even has to pay for dowries! Humph!"

Guizhi's father felt uncomfortable upon hearing this. He went straight to the old house, where Grandma was making new clothes for Fourth Uncle. Fourth Uncle was going on a blind date, so naturally, he needed two new outfits to look presentable. Grandpa was resting on the kang (a heated brick bed). He was getting old, and working in the fields had been quite tiring lately. Fortunately, he wasn't busy now, so he would just go for a short walk in the fields and then come back to rest for a while.

"Father, mother!"

"The boss is back!"

"Father, Mother, let's separate the family!" Guizhi's father stammered. Grandpa sat up, exchanged a glance with Grandma, but neither said anything.

"Father, Mother, please separate us from the family. I have no sons and don't want to be a burden on the family anymore!"

"Are you angry because the second son's wife made several maids do the laundry?" the old lady asked tentatively.

"No, Mother. What kind of work is it for a few maids to wash a few pieces of clothing?"

Grandpa said:

"Eldest brother, you know our family situation. We don't have much land to divide! We don't have much property either! If we divide the family property, it will just mean you will have to move out and live separately, and then you will have no reason to come back for dinner."

You need to think this through. You have a small family too, and several children.

Guizhi had been following behind her father since he entered the old house, listening silently.

Then, smiling, he said:

"Grandpa and Grandma, you are so kind! You still think about us girls and worry that we won't have enough to eat. We are not afraid of hardship working with my parents."

But my dad didn't want to be a burden on our family, and we didn't want to be a burden on my grandparents and uncles either. Sigh! What can I do? I'm a girl!

Guizhi's words dispelled the somber atmosphere. Grandma laughed, "You silly girl! Eldest son, just hold on for a few more years, and maybe you'll give birth to a boy in a couple of years."

"Grandpa and Grandma, that's still uncertain! What if it's another girl?"

"You deserve a beating for talking nonsense. Your bad advice won't come true, but your good advice will!" Grandma quickly put her hands together and bowed to the left and right.

"Father, Mother, I've made up my mind. Let's separate the family. It's only a matter of time. If we don't get anything, then so be it!"

Guizhi's father finally made up his mind and said.

Grandpa thought for a moment:

"Okay, if you've thought it through, then it's settled! We'll divide things up after dinner tonight. I'll just be separating you guys, and I won't be calling the third and fifth brothers back. I'll just have someone send a message to let them know."

After deciding to separate the family property, Guizhi's father suddenly felt a sense of relief, and his heart was no longer burdened.

He took Guizhi back to his room, where Daya and Erya had already gone to do laundry. He told Guizhi's mother that he would be living alone from now on, and then lay down.